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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28065678">droplet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buries/pseuds/buries'>buries</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>[challenge] fandomweekly fills [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Caught in the Rain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Post-Season/Series 03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:53:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28065678</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buries/pseuds/buries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that the Fire Lord has been defeated, Katara feels directionless. Zuko provides her with some direction.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>[challenge] fandomweekly fills [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>FandomWeekly (2019-2021) Writing Challenge on Dreamwidth</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>droplet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written for fandomweekly's #69 "ray of sunshine" and "cloudy day" prompts.</p><p>This is set after Book 3 but before the graphic novels. You can read it as friendship or romance, your call. c: Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Thanks for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the sky begins to darken, Zuko knows where she'll be.</p><p>He walks outside of the palace in loose pants and a shirt—hardly that of a Fire Lord, but it certainly makes him feel more like himself—and he approaches with quiet feet. Katara's by the turtleduck pond, manipulating water between her hands to form the most perfect circle he's ever seen in his life.</p><p>With his hands clasped behind his back, he watches as she moves seamlessly into a waterbender's pose, pushing forward on one leg and back on the other. She maintains the perfect ball between her hands as the turtleducks watch on.</p><p>She stands powerfully as she lifts her hands up above her head. Fingers fanning out like claws, he watches as that ball of water begins to grow. Wider and wider, its thinness begins to fatten up as she expands it over the oval turtleduck pond.</p><p>The storm clouds seem to darken above them. He peers up and can barely see the clouds from the water hovering over his head.</p><p>"Uh, Katara?"</p><p>The water splashes down and soaks him.</p><p>"Zuko!"</p><p>Brushing his long fringe away from his forehead, he wipes his wet fingers against his eyes and spies her cheeks are tinged Fire Nation red.</p><p>"I didn't know you were there... I'm sorry."</p><p>"Why are you sorry?" he shrugs. The corner of his lips curve upward as he watches the turtleducks ride the wave of water that's splurged into their pond. "They're having fun."</p><p>Katara brushes her hands through her drenched hair, pulling it away from her face. "I hope I didn't hurt them..."</p><p>"No way," he says, shaking his head. Zuko takes this as his opportunity to approach her. "They've had to listen to Azula talk about who knows what. And they've listened to Uncle when he goes on one of his tea rants." He shrugs. "If they can survive Aang when he talks about how to be zen, then they can survive a bit of water bombing."</p><p>Katara ducks her head with a sheepish smile, looking away from him.</p><p>Zuko clears his throat. "Why are you out here, anyway?"</p><p>He watches as she pulls the water droplets from the thick grass beneath her bare feet and dries the earth. The water droplets float in the air, creating patterns and shapes that capture the turtleducks attention.</p><p>She sits down with a sigh. "It's silly." </p><p>Zuko sits, grateful for the dry patch of earth she's created for him. "I doubt anything is as silly as Sokka wearing that stupid hat."</p><p>She chuckles. "He does look a bit silly..." Biting her lip, she inhales deeply to only let it out. He swears he sees her breath push against the surface of the turtleduck pond gently. "I'm feeling a little lost. Ever since we defeated your..." With a glance to him, she clears her throat and continues, "The Fire Lord, I don't know what to do next. We've been on this path for so long and—"</p><p>"Now you have no idea what you're meant to be doing."</p><p>"Yes!" She turns her body to look at him early. It's almost like he's provided her with clarity when it's often her who provides it to everyone else. The water droplets above them shake. "We've been helping Aang train to be able to defeat Ozai for so long and now... Well... What do we do next?"</p><p>Zuko shrugs. "I wish I knew," he says. "I don't know, either."</p><p>"You don't know? You're the new Fire Lord."</p><p>"That doesn't mean I know," he says with a kind smile. "I have no idea how to be Fire Lord, and it's a lifetime commitment, too. I'm just... taking every minute as it comes."</p><p>Katara smiles. "Did your uncle tell you that?"</p><p>It's Zuko's turn to blush. He brushes his fingers through his hair. "Yeah," he says, not looking at her. "I may have had a freak out..."</p><p>"You mean you had <i>another</i> freak out?"</p><p>"Look," he says, huffing. When he looks at her, he's ready to go one on of his rants of defence, but then he starts to laugh. "All I can say is... You don't have to be doing anything right now, you know? You can just stay here..."</p><p>"I don't want to overstay my welcome, Zuko. You've got things to do."</p><p>He frowns. "I have things to <i>learn</i>—and I have a lot more to learn from you, Katara. You're from the Water Tribe. There's so much I don't know, so much my uncle wants to know, too."</p><p>Katara's cheeks tinge a lovely pink. "Your uncle wants to learn from me?"</p><p>Zuko smiles at her and nods eagerly. "Of course. He won't stop talking about you. Like, ever. It's almost as annoying as his tea speeches."</p><p>Katara chuckles. "I'm sorry he's been annoying about me."</p><p>Pulling his legs up, he peers at the turtleduck pond. "It's okay," he says. "I don't mind."</p><p>He winces when he feels a drop of water land sharply on his nose. Katara's laugh is light and only grows louder as more water falls from the sky. A few line his forehead and the slope of his nose before the grey clouds above them open up and pour down.</p><p>But he doesn't feel the water soak him. When he peers up at the sky, he's in a watery dome. It's warmer than the cold rain droplets. Katara's holds her hands up and fans out her fingers as she creates a little dry bubble for them on the ground as the rain pours around them. </p><p>She turns to look at him and shrugs. "I thought we could sit out here for a while."</p><p>He smiles. "I'd like that."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can find me at <a href="http://finnicks.tumblr.com">Tumblr.</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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